High alert over suspected Marburg case in Trans Nzoia

Health officials in Trans Nzoia County have issued an alert over a suspected case of the Ebola-like Marburg virus in the region.

This is after a Ugandan national with symptoms of the haemorrhagic fever visited a herbalist in a village in Kaisagat location, Kwanza Constituency, seeking medical assistance.

Health officials confirmed to the Nation today that samples from the Ugandan have been taken to Kemri for analysis with results expected on Wednesday morning.

“This is not Ebola but we suspect Marburg virus which is highly experienced in Uganda although it has symptoms like Ebola,” said County Director of Preventive and Promotive Health Services, Gilbert Sowon.

He urged Kenyans to be calm as the samples are examined at the laboratory to ascertain the disease.

According to the Kitale County Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Emmanuel Wanjala, this is the first incidence to have occurred in the devolved unit and is being treated as a special case.

“Already quarantine has been set up in the affected area and mobilization in the community is ongoing as," he said.

Kenya has not reported cases of the Ebola Virus before although three cases suspected to be Marburg fever were recorded around Mt Elgon Region.

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“In this present case we have reports that there has been a Murburg outbreak not to the scale of the West African region but about six cases were reported at Kween in Kapchorwa region of Uganda recently,” he noted.